Oil-purifying apparatus for motor-propelled vehicles



Oct. 15, 1929.

OIL PURIFYING APPARATUS FdR MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLES T. H. MILLER FiledMay .34 1926 ox flax/ore /7 M/Y/er JTTOR EXJ- Patented Oct. 15, 1929UNETED STATES- PATENT. OFFICE THEODORE H. MILLER, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,AOORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY OIL-PURIFYING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR-PBOPELLEDVEHICLES Application filed May 24, 1926. Serial No. 111,173.

The object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal liquid purifyingor separating apparatus that is particularly adapted to be carried onmoving motor-propelled vehicles and to be mounted thereon on ahorizontal axis. Such apparatus so mounted is known in the art and hasbeen connected with the that is, when the bowl'is at rest, any liquidand sediment therein continues to be distributed approximately uniformlyaround the bowl axis, so that the bowl and its contents areapproximately balanced when the centrifuge isagain put into operation.With the centrifuge mounted on a horizontal axis, the contents tend tosink by gravity and settle at one side of (below) the bowls axis.However, this disadvantage is often not serious, because, on restartingthe bowl, any contained liquid, of course, equally distributes itselfquickly around the periphery; and I have found that, in horizontallymounted purifying bowls, the sediment collected on the bowl wall oftendisplays little tendency to collect on that part of the bowl wall which,when the bowl is at rest, is at the bottom, but adheres for hours tothat part of the bowl wall on which it is originally deposited. In othercases, however, the sediment, by gravity, becomes unequally distributedperipherally, and resists equal distribution for a substantial timeafter the bowl is restarted. While this trouble can be overcome bymounting the bowl on a vertical axis, the disadvantage of so mounting abowl on a moving ve-- hicle is obvious, in that the shocks and strainsimposed on the bearings are severe and tend to tilt or twist the bowl inits bearings, thereby preventing its smooth running and even itspractical operativeness.

Oneobject of the invention is to provide for more certainlyapproximately balancing. a bowl mounted on a horizontal axis in case ofan unequal distribution of solid or semi-solid sediment on the bowlwall, although this feature of the invention is not indispensable and itis not to be considered an implied element of the structure except wherespecifically claimed.

There are, however, other more serious factors that militate against thesuccessful operation of a centrifuge on a locomotive or other movingvehicle even whenthe bowl is mounted on an axis extending horizontallyand in the direction or movement of the vehiele. By reason of suddenstops, the bumping of the locomotive against ears, and other similarincidents, the bowl and its shaft are subjected to powerful forces thattend to throw or jerk them bodily in the direction of their axis. Thespring bearings by which the shafts of centrifuges are customarilysupported are incapable of absorbing the shocks and strains set up bysuch forces. One of the principal objects of the invention is to providea centrifugal purifying apparatus so supported and with such anarrangement of oil ports and passages as will adapt it to function withmaximum efficiency and particularly to absorb the shocks incident to theuse of any such apparatus on a locomotive or other motor-propelledvehicle.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the purifyingapparatus that the liquid being acted on will be always under liquidpressure and will never be allowed to escape as a spray.

A preferred embodiment of my invention, accomplishing the specified andother objects, is shown in longitudinal section in the accompanyingdrawing.

A purifier bowl a, preferably a single out let bowl, is mounted on ahollow shafthaving extensions 6 and 0.' WVithin the hollow shaft is animperforate web to which divides the interior of the shaft into twoaxial passages Z and 0. The shaft extensions rotate in bearings d and e,which are flexibly supported in their pedestals'by springs 8. At eachend of the shaft, backed by a cushioning spring f, is a thrust bearingplug 9 adapted to bear against a stationary abutment k held in thebearing adjacent the end of the shaft.

A flexible tube 2', which is connected with the lubricating oilreservoir or lubricating oil circulation system (not shown) of theengine, is in communication with an annular chamber j in the bearing dand, through port passage 6 and portal, all in the shaft extension .7),with the interior of the bowl a. Port a, passage 0, and port p,'all inthe shaft extension 0, communicate .with an annular chamber gin thebearing 0 and thence with a flexible tube 1'. Tubes 11 and 1- areconnected, 1n any convenient way, with the oil supply for the engineand, together with the described connections between them, may con-'-veniently be arranged either in the main oil circulating system of theengine or in a bypass therefrom.

The inlet passage Z and outlet passage 0 communicate, through restrictedpassages in webs t, with the chambers at the respective ends of-theshafts.

Around the bowl a is a metal belt a, which has a mass many times that ofany irregular deposit of solids in the bowl.

The bowl may be geared to the driving shaft of the engine, but ispreferably driven from a special motor (so that its speed will beconstant regardless of the speed of the vehicle). The shaft is thereforeprovided with a.pulley a, which may be belted to the motor shaft (notshown).

In operation, the bowl rotates at high speed. Dirty liquid (which willbe contaminated lubricating oil if the apparatus is used for the purposeof purifying. such oil) is fed, through the flexible inlet tube 91,chamber j, port is, passage l and port m, into the bowl (1, whereincentrifgual force throws the impurities heavier than the oil out againstthe shell while the cleaned oil is forced toward the center and outthrough the port n, passage 0, port p, chamber g and tube '1',

. which conducts it to the oil circulating system or the storage tank.

Enough oil to fill the chambers at the ends of the shaft passes throughthe restricted passages t to afford a liquid cushion adapted to damp anysudden movement of the bowl and shaft relative to the bearings.

The heavy belt u around the bowl is of such great mass that the effectof any irregularity of deposits of solids within the bowl will be soslight that the bowl can be stopped and, in spite of some settling ofsolids to the lower side, can be started and'run again without excessivevibration.

The spring-backed bearing plugs g take the thrust when it is so longcontinued in one direction as to overcome the damping effect of theliquid in the chambers at the ends of the shaft.

The construction described is one which permits the liquid within theapparatus to be maintained under a superatmospheric pressure and fillthe liquid passages so that the liquid will not escape from the bowl asa spray.

While the invention is particularly intended for application tomotor-propelled vehicles, it is capable of being applied to sta tionaryengines.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is':

1. The combination of a centrifugal purifying bowl with means to supportit on a horizontal axis and to permit movement thereof in oppositedirections parallel with the axis, and shock-absorbing means adapted toyieldingly resist such movements.

2. The combination of a centrifugal purifying bowl with means to supportit on a horizontal axis and to permit movement thereof in oppositedirections parallel with the axis,v

and shock-absorbing springs adapted to yieldingly resist such movements.

3. The combination of a centrifugal purifying bowl with means to supportit on a horizontal axis and to permit movement thereof in oppositedirections parallel with the axis, and movement damping means comprisingchambers adapted to contain liquid to resist the end thrusts of thebowl, said chambers having restricted apertures per- -mitting athrottled flow of liquid into and out of the chambers.

4. The combination of a centrifugal purifying bowl with means to supportit on a horizontal axis and to' permit movement thereof in oppositedirections parallel with the axis, and shock-absorbing means adaptedtoyieldingly resist such movements, said shock-absorbing means comprisingsprings adapted to yieldingly resist such movements and chambers adaptedto contain liquid also adapted to resist such movements, the chambershaving restricted apertures permitting a throttled flow of liquid intoand out of the chambers.

5. The combination with a horizontal slide able shaft, of a centrifugalpurifying bowl mounted thereon, and means providing passages thronghwhich liquid is adapted to flow along the shaft to and from the bowl, of

shock-absorbing means adapted to receive means providing a chambercommunicating with said liquid flow passages and affording ashock-absorbing device adapted to receive and damp end thrusts of theshaft.

8. The combination with a hollow slidable shaft and a centrifugalpurifying. bowl mounted thereon, of means to allow liquid to flow intoand out'of the shaft and into and out of the bowl, and means at each endof the shaft forming an end chamber one wall of which is movable withthe shaft and relatively to the other wall, said chambers havingrestricted openings communicatinv with the hollow shaft and throughwhich liquid is adapted to flow.

9. The combination with a centrifugal purifying bowl provided with aninflow port and an inflow passage leading therefrom to the separatingspace of the bowl and with an outflow port communicating with the interior of the bowl adjacent its inner wall, of a horizontal shaft onwhich the bowl is mounted, and spring hearings in which opposite ends ofthe shaft turn, the shaft being provided with liquid inflow and outflowpassages communicating with the said ports respectively.

10. The combination with a centrifugal purifying bowl, of a shaft onwhich the bowl is mounted, and bearings at opposite ends of the bowl inwhich the shaft rotates, the shaft having inlet and outlet passages forliquid communicating with the bowl and the bearings having annularchambers, respectively to receive and discharge liquid, communicatifngw1th the respective passages in the sha t.

ed, of bearings in which the opposite ends ofthe shaft are bothrotatable and axially slidable, the shaft having liquid inflow and 'bowland a hollow bowl-supporting shaft 11. The combination with acentrifugal purifying bowl, of a hollow shaft providing .an axial liquidflow passage and on which the bowl is mounted, and bearings in which theshaft turns, the bearings having annular chambers and the shaft havingports affording communication between said chambers and the axial liquidflow passages in the shaft. v

12. The combination with a centrifugal purifying bowl and a shaft onwhich the bowl is mounted on a horizontal axis, of shaft bearingspermitting movement of the bowl and shaft in opposite directions par--allel with their axis, and movement damping means at the ends oftheshaft comprising chambers adapted to contain liquid, and having liquidoutlets and inlets of cross section small relatively to that oftheshaft.

13. The combination with a. centrifugal bowl and a shaft on'which thebowl is mountdivided into a plurality of liquid flow passages, ofbearings in which the opposite ends of the shaft are rotatable andaxially slidable, there being a port adapted to admit liquid to one ofsaid flow passages, a port adapted to convey liquid from the last namedflow passage to the bowl, a'port adapted to convey liquid from the bowlto another of said passages and a port adapted to dischar e liquid fromthe last named passage, and we s carried by the shaft and constitutingthe end of walls of said passages, there being chambers beyond the websand restricted liquid flow passages through the webs.

16. A centrifugal bowl and a concentric mass encircling the periphery ofthe bowl and of a weight exceeding the weight of a volume of wateradapted to fill the bowl.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPoughkeepsie, New York, on this 15th day of May, 1926.

THEODORE H. MILLER.

ed, of radially yieldable bearings'in which the opposite ends of theshaft are-both rotat-I able and axially slidable, the shaft havingliquidinflow and outflow passages communieating with the bowl. I g

14. The combination with a centrifugal bowl and a shafton which the bowlis mount-

